Secret Santa
by Firestar1161
Summary: Well. With Melaradark's kindest purr-missions I have made this little quick-fix type thing. A little early for Christmas, perhaps, but it's freezing where I am so I don't think it is too far off. Enjoy :) and don't forget to stop by Dark Energy, it's the story I drew my inspiration from! SPOILERS DE 1: /s/7501822/1/Dark-Energy


A/N: Characters owned by MelaraDark, and Mass Effect is owned by BioWare, etc. Del gave me permission to write this :). First off, reading some excerpts of DE, I have tried to at least mimic Del's writing style to make it easier to flow into the story. I made this for a couple reasons. 1. I am having withdrawal every second I do not have a chapter in the Dark Energy series. 2. I love to write, and debated over writing a poem or a story. At first this was going to be a poem based on DE. Then it became a much more lighthearted Christmas Poem for DE. It has since evolved into a full blown mini-story. So. Without further ado, I give you the story!

"Captain."

Shepard started to jostle around in her bed.

"Captain.." EDI repeated.

"What?" Shepard responded.

Del looked at the clock. The time displayed showed 5AM Citadel time exactly.

"What do you want EDI" Shepard sighed, more than exasperated after last night.

"Simply for you to look in the corner, Captain." EDI replied.

Del rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. The conversation with EDI had awoken Liara, who had slept next to her.

"What's going on?" Liara asked, dreary with sleep.

"Nothing Tianlán, go back to sleep." Del said, taking a much softer tone without realizing.

Del scanned the room, and located what EDI was talking about in the corner.

Or so she thought.

"EDI... Is that a...gift?"

"Yes Captain, it is a decoratively wrapped item of monetary or sentimental value to whomever it is addressed to."

Shepard looked, and the tag on the gift had no name except 'SHEPARD' on it.

"EDI, scan this. The last thing I need is one of Joker's pranks right now." As Del said that she thought about losing so many so recently... The freshest being Kasumi.

"Scan complete, Shepard. There is no prank, but something inside of the box."

"Well what is it then?" Del replied with an annoyed tone. But EDI kept her cool.

"You will have to open it to find out. I believe this tradition coincides with a holiday humans celebrate called Christmas?" EDI asked.

"Yea yea Christmas and all that." Del said, now suspiciously opening the box.

Inside lay something wrapped in tissue paper. As she unwrapped it, she revealed it to be an old record. She looked but could not find any sign of what was on the record.

_Odd._ She thought. _I don't have a record player._

"EDI, who put this here?" Shepard asked quizzically.

"I am not sure. My surveillance of this room was disturbed at approximately 12:01 AM, Citadel time this morning. I was not able to see anything through my sensors." EDI said with alarm.

This slightly alarmed Del as well that someone was able to so efficiently get past EDI, even if it was one of her own crew members.

"EDI, call everyone to the CIC. I will be down shortly."

"Yes Captain." EDI replied.

Upon walking into the CIC with Liara, Del noticed that everyone was looking to her for an answer. She was wondering what question they might have when she noticed they all had similar Christmas gifts.

_So whoever did this didn't give one to just __**me. **__They must have to the whole crew. _

Del turned and told Liara to run down to her office and see if there was a gift. Sure enough, a few moments later, she returned with a gift, wrapped neatly with a tag that read 'DR T'SONI'.

Del stepped up in front of everyone. _Now is not the time to be running around and messing with everyone. We're in a damned war!_

Del cleared her throat. "Attention everyone. It appears that last night an unknown member of our fine crew here decided to hand everyone out a gift."

"Also. EDI was unable to detect whomever it was. That is pretty serious, and good intentions or not, you need to come forward."

Del was sure they knew that fact, as they had gathered with their gifts in hand. Before she could continue, however, Garrus spoke up.

"Yes, well Del. Whomever did this must have a... _twisted _sense of humor."

"Why?" Del responded.

Garrus proceeded to hold up a make up kit, made for young female turians.

Trying to avoid busting out laughing in front of the whole crew, she immediately turned her view.

It landed upon Joker, whom looked more than happy with his gift.

"I can see from the dopey smile on your face you want to tell the class Joker. "She teased.

This was one of the rare times he was up and walking, so she didn't prod too hard.

" Well apparently whomever this is thought it would be great to give me a new OSD. Considering my last one was, well y'know, full of porn and dropped on Cerberus."

Del thought he was genuinely happy with his gift, which slightly weird-ed her out.

And then it all clicked in Del's head.

_How could I have been so _stupid. Del thought.

_If there had been a REAL situation where EDI couldn't see anything, she would have alerted the whole Normandy..._

Del turned back to the crew. "So it seems EDI was not only unable to identify who this _Secret Santa _is, but she also did not receive a gift herself."

She waited a few moments while the realization of what she said sunk in on the rest of the crew.

Out of Del's sight, EDI's chassis simply smiled.

"So EDI. You can choose which limb you lose. I think that's a pretty good Christmas gift." Garrus said.

"It would be rather ineffective as I can self repair." EDI replied.

Liara was holding a small picture of Shepard close, and she would not ever let _anyone_ see it.

"So what did the Jolly Old Robot give you, Liara?" Garrus prodded.

"Uhm, a picture frame." Liara replied. She heard the nervousness in her voice. Did anyone else hear it?

"It seems to have a picture in it." Garrus said in a joking tone.

"Lay off her ugly, or else my Christmas gift to you will be a fist fight." Del said with a happy tone.

"Oh I'm sorry. I forgot to be intimidated by that. Remind me, which part of that comment was the threat again?" Garrus said.

Del responded by punching his shoulder, and Garrus pretended to faint.

"So EDI, what would you like us to get you for your gift?" Liara asked.

"Yeah, you know, more RAM, a new processor, maybe a shiny new HI." Joker said.

"Actually, I don't desire anything. I simply wanted to remind everyone of the day, and did so through tradition." EDI said matter-of-factly.

They all turned their attention as Dr. Chakwas stumbled into the CIC.

"Uh, EDI, what did you give Dr. Chakwas?" Del asked.

"Simple. Serrice Ice Brandy." EDI responded.

Del had a good laugh at that, but then realized what time it was.

"Alright people, time to get back to it!" She said to the conglomerate that had grown in the CIC.

She turned and strode back up to the Galaxy Map, feeling a pain in her heart as she noticed Traynor missing.

And that led her to thoughts of Mordin, Sydney, Kasumi.

But then she looked at the warm smile Liara gave her as she passed her on her way to the old XO office.

And then chuckled on the inside as Garrus strode by, wearing what appeared to be Turian lipstick.

And she knew that she should still be thankful. And she would be.

Later, back in Del's cabin, Liara strode in.

Both weary after the long day's work, Del still managed to pique her curiosity.

"Spill it Sky Blue. What was in the box?"

"Why Del, you saw for yourself. You got an old record." Liara replied.

"Don't get coy with me, _Doctor!"_ Del joked.

Liara simply sighed.

"Well you must spoil all surprises now don't you?"

"Only when it benefits me the most!" Del interjected.

Liara pulled her box up onto the bed from where she had sat it.

Del looked over Liara's shoulder and peeked into the box. Inside sat something she wasn't even sure _existed_ anymore.

Liara carefully sat the record atop her gift, and when she and Del we're together, Flatwood would always play.

"Merry Christmas Sky Blue." Del said as she pushed her lips into a kiss with Liara.

"And you too, my love." Liara replied as the kiss broke.

FIN


End file.
